Pre-Owned Games Damaging Single-Player Development, Says Braben

[Andy Chalk]

Pre-Owned Games Damaging Single-Player Development, Says Braben

David Braben, Elite [http://www.frontier.co.uk/], says the existence of the pre-owned games market is "damaging" the development of single-player games.

"I think it's really damaging to the single-player experience. Games like GamesIndustry [http://www.2kgames.com/bioshock/]. "The sales don't reflect the actual sales of people playing them because someone has gone out and bought, at almost the same price, a pre-owned copy because they couldn't get an original. It's very frustrating that they don't carry that stock anymore."

Braben suggested that the current pre-owned scheme could be replaced by a rental system instead. "A genuine rental market would be fine," he continued. "There may well be other business models - and the problem with video rental, as I understand it, was prices were really high. I think that was the issue."

"Maybe there are different ways of participating in that. Maybe it's not a higher price, maybe we get a share of the rental, which actually might be better where the copy is even cheaper, or even free," he added.

I can't speak for anyone else, but when pre-owned game prices are "almost the same" as new, I buy new. On the other hand, if I can pick up a copy of Riddick [http://www.riddickgame.com/us/index.html] for 20 bucks pre-owned, that's a whole different story. Videogame rentals already exist, but the prices are ridiculous and the terms are, to put it politely, less than friendly to consumers. The pre-owned market exists for a reason, and it will take some very fundamental changes to the way the industry does business to make it go away.



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[arrr_matey]

While we're at it, I guess Braben expects used book stores to close down. Pawn shops won't be able to sell used DVDs or CDs. And let's make sure to pass some laws to shut down the horrible scourge on humanity that are garage sales where people get to *gasp* sell the things that they legally bought!

Seriously, when I buy something I can do whatever I want with it. Every other industry has to cope with people buying their products cheaper when they're used. Deal with it. Make your game so great that people won't be able to wait for it to show up in the used section and they'll want to buy it new.

 

[DamienHell]

Yah I'm NOT in favor of removing the pre-owned market. I wouldn't have got GTA IV if it wasn't for the ability to trade in old games. I bought it, its my game I'll sell it to who ever I want to, now they own the game and can sell it if they want to. Thats how ownership works.

 

[shatnershaman]

I bought Assassin's Creed used....

 

[nilpixelcount]

So it's the gamers' fault? Not the industry's fault for pricing the games beyond their perceived value? Most single player games these days are coming in at fewer and fewer hours. $60 for 40 hours of gameplay, that's a good deal. But $60 for 10 hours of gameplay? It makes you think twice.

If it's hurting the single player market so bad, hopefully this'll push 'em to make more co-op and multiplayer games

 

[PhoenixFlame]

Having a viable market for a business practice is what drives any kind of affect on the general industry as a whole, not the people who partake in it. This is the similar argument that showed up with the RIAA and mp3's a while back, although what's talked about here is less sensationalist.

iTunes proves that the mp3 purchase medium can be made into a viable profitable business model. Game rentals are insane in terms of pricing and the online rental system (not systems, because other than gamefly you are out of luck at the moment) hasn't caught fire yet, so pre-owning games is more appealing right now. I doubt you're going to see the pre-owning market go away, not when it's firmly entrenched as a normal business practice for many brick-and-mortar versions of shops.

 

[Nordstrom]

I agree that it's harmful when a used game is being sold for marginally less than the new price. At that price point, the used market is selling used games to that people would have bought new. The crazy thing is that people are willing to buy used at $5 less than new.

That said, the used market is vital for retaining a back catalog of old games. There are many games that I want to play that are no longer available new. I'm not going to be shelling out $60 for a game.

edit: The solution isn't to ban used games.

 

[Zerbye]

His next argument should be that we shut down libraries. Seriously, how are publishers supposed to make money if you can borrow stuff from the library for free? Aside from books, CDs, and DVDs, you can also borrow games from the library for free. I've played through Halo 3 and Ace Combat 6 on 2 week loan, with Bioshock waiting for me this weekend. It's only a matter of time before Hollywood/RIAA/gaming companies start going after libraries...imagine how fun that will be.

 

[GCM]

I'm not exactly caught up on game rentals (or know where to rent games, for that matter). How bad is the pricing and the terms?

I tend to avoid overly expensive games too, by getting cheap used games. Only if I'm really into it will I get an expensive game. Here in the US, I would give $50 for CoD4, Ratchet and Clank, MGS4. Not Halo 3 (not really interested), not all the other ripoff titles. Spore, maybe, but unlikely. I can get TF2 for $20! Portal for 10! The Orange Box for 40!

Besides, save a few dollars, help the environment at the same time. (Won't be as much as if all Americans turned their lights out when they go out, but still.)

If you want sales indication, ask retailers to record the sales of used games. If you want more money, then screw off. Unless you're Valve or something.

 

[GCM]

Oh yeah, I got the Painkiller collection box (Original, Battle, and Overdose) for $20. Not a bad deal, really. But then I got Halo CE for $20. Yeah, not that great. Halo 2 for $30? Not too likely.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

Braben needs to take into account the number of players who buy high volumes of first-run games only because they can lay off some of the cost by trading in used games for store credit. I've talked with people who have bought games they thought were of marginal interest only because they could sell the game back if they didn't enjoy it... if the used market is removed (somehow) then those sales will disappear.

-- Steve

 

[Arbre]

Oh sure, single player games don't really push player to subscribe to services to play on maintained servers.

 

[tendo82]

I wonder if by rapidly dropping prices after the first two weeks of a game's release if publishers could keep sales momentum going? They could essentially undercut the used games market, and possibly maintain a longer period of meaningful sales.

I'll always by a new greatest hits title over a used version of the same title.

 

[KiKiweaky]

I don't sell my games when i buy them as i find the amount you get for them to be pathetic. But if you do have a problem with the pre-owned games market, listen to people above... MAKE THEM LONGER....

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

This is like complaining that our refusal to give them free money is hurting the industry.

 

[SaintWaldo]

I hate to break it to David, but the doctrine of first sale is not going away anytime soon. All that remains is for the concept to be reconciled with digital distribution.

This is the same whining publishers of 78s made about 100 years ago. Welcome to the future, it's the same as it ever was.

 

[arrr_matey]

I wonder if by rapidly dropping prices after the first two weeks of a game's release if publishers could keep sales momentum going? They could essentially undercut the used games market, and possibly maintain a longer period of meaningful sales.

Totally good idea. I mean, it's ridiculous in the first place that you're only usually saving about $5 or less buying a used game that has recently come out. So, if price cuts came regularly after release, then the used prices would have to go down, too and that would drastically cut into the used stores' profit margins.

 

[Royas]

Whaaa! I don't like the reality of the open market! Whaaa! That's all I'm hearing from this guy. Is this the new drum to beat, now that piracy is old news? First EA, now Frontier Developments. It's like these guys get together to decide what the whine of the day is going to be. I'm getting kind of sick of hearing devs bitching about every little thing. If you can't take it, get out of the business, we won't miss you.